febrile
adjective
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Not too surprisingly, febrile originated in the field of medicine. We note its first use in the work of the 17th-century medical reformer Noah Biggs. Biggs used it in admonishing physicians to care for their "febrile patients" properly. Both feverish and febrile are from the Latin word for "fever," which is febris. Nowadays, febrile is used in medicine in a variety of ways, including references to such things as "the febrile phase" of an illness. And, like feverish, it also has an extended sense, as in "a febrile emotional state."
Examples of febrile in a Sentence
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2025
This change helps lower the chance of a febrile seizure, which can happen more often with the combo vaccine.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 26 Sep. 2025
The vaccine is associated with a slight increase in the risk of febrile seizures, but it is administered to only a small percentage of children each year, and children will still be able to receive other vaccinations for the infections that M.M.R.V. covers.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
Kimmel’s temporary removal from his show over remarks made about the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk have opened up a febrile free speech debate across America.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for febrile
Cite this Entry
“Febrile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/febrile. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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